[2016-05-25 12:00:00] Throughout human history, we’ve maintained a strong drive to live in close proximity with one another. This hour, we’ll talk about where that desire comes from – and why it’s important to hold onto it tightly – with bestselling author and journalist Sebastian Junger. He writes about the idea in “Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging” (Twelve).

[2016-05-24 13:00:00] Those of us who own pets appreciate the unconditional love they give us when we walk through the door. But is the care we give to them a fair exchange for their freedom? This hour, we’ll talk about the morality of owning cats, dogs, fish, birds and other animals with bioethicist Jessica Pierce, author of “Run, Spot, Run: The Ethics of Keeping Pets” (University of Chicago Press).

[2016-05-24 12:00:00] Everyone possesses traits that set them apart from others, but a person’s voice might be one of the most unique characteristics they have. This hour we’ll explore what it takes to provide vocal identities for those without them with Rupal Patel, director of the Communication Analysis and Design Laboratory at Northeastern University. She founded the VocaliD voice-bank to transform donated voiceprints and speech patterns into new individual voices for people who lack the ability to physically speak for themselves.

[2016-05-23 12:00:00] Many factors lead to the accomplishment of a goal: intelligence, opportunity, experience. At the top of the list, though, may be simply our desire to achieve. This hour, we’ll talk about how business leaders, top athletes and world-class artists rise to the top of their fields through sheer determination with psychologist Angela Duckworth, author of “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” (Scribner).

[2016-05-23 13:00:00] We spend a third of our lives asleep – at least that’s the idea. And when we get less than our eight hours, we’re probably lowering the quality of the time we spend awake. This hour, we’ll talk about why our bodies need rest, the role of dreams in our subconscious and the consequences of sleep deprivation with Arianna Huffington ofThe Huffington Post. She writes about the topic in “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time” (Harmony).

[2016-05-19 12:00:00] In a book out last year, historian Ruth Goodman detailed for readers what it was like to live in Victorian England. This hour, we’ll listen back to our February conversation with Goodman about her newest book, “How to Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life” (Liveright), to learn about the ups and downs of English life during the reign of Henry VIII.

[2016-05-19 13:00:00] Since 2013, KERA has followed a group of students on the path to graduation. As they finish their junior year in high school, they're making college and career decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. As part of KERA's American Graduate series What's Next For The Class Of '17, we'll discuss those pivotal decisions with Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Stanford dean and author of "How to Raise an Adult" (Henry Holt and Co.).

[2016-05-19 13:00:00] Since 2013, KERA has followed a group of students on the path to graduation. As they finish their junior year in high school, they’re making college and career decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. As part of KERA’s American Graduate series What’s Next For The Class Of ’17, we’ll discuss those pivotal decisions with Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Stanford dean and author of “How to Raise an Adult” (Henry Holt and Co.).

[2016-05-18 13:00:00] Siddhartha Mukherjee won a Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for his book “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.” This hour, he’ll take us from Gregor Mendel’s 19th Century experiments with pea plants to current methods of gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9. He writes about it all in his latest effort, “The Gene: An Intimate History” (Scribner).

[2016-05-18 12:00:00] With school nearly out, many families are gearing up to take the great American road trip. This hour, we’ll talk about must-visit stops along the way with Brent D. Glass, director emeritus of the National Museum of American History. His new book is called “50 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S.” (Simon & Schuster), and he’s in town to talk about it tonight at the Sixth Floor Museum.